Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Egypt's Supreme Energy Council reviews power supply plans for 14 industrial projects    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egyptian pound closes high vs. USD on Tuesday – CBE    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Press Round-up: Editors speak out over press law, newspapers continue coverage of Mideast crisis
Published in Daily News Egypt on 07 - 07 - 2006

Editorials point to recent incidents as threats to freedom of expression
CAIRO: The new publishing law, under discussion in parliament, has dominated editorials throughout the week. The topic also brought into the spotlight other stories related to freedom of expression, including last week's story of the student who was reprimanded for criticizing American policies in an essay.
"Down with journalism and long live corruption, wrote Ahmed Ragab in the state-owned Al-Akhbar. All writers, regardless of affiliation, said the new law would only allow corruption to grow, since journalists would be subject to prison if they threw doubt on any institution or official.
"The way in which new punishments have been sought makes journalists doubt the government's intentions, wrote Mohamed Ali Ibrahim in Al-Gomhouria.
"Just kill us all, was the title of Mostafa Shardy's article in Al-Wafd. He pondered why there had been a fuss over the new law if the government was adamant to pass it in this form. "Let the system issue one law to execute every criminal who dares to express his opinion or oppose the system or its friends, he wrote.
The new law is an attempt to silence every voice, Shardy explained, in a country that needs every opinion and voice. He said journalists now have two options: to fulfill their mission and end up in jail with criminals or to abide by government rules and write about trivialities to avoid prison.
In Al-Akhbar, Mohamed Barakat, the paper's editor, said journalists are counting on the president to fulfill his promise of a new publishing law. Without noting the journalist syndicate's objections to the new law, Barakat said "all journalists trust the president and his support for their demands.
"What Shura Council President Safwat El Sherif, Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mufid Shehab and Minister of Justice Mahmoud Abu Leil said about the new law fulfilling the promises President Hosni Mubarak made in his electoral campaign is untrue, wrote Magdy Mehanna in Al-Masry Al-Youm.
"No journalism. No writing. This is the new thing the government brought forth. This is its stupid understanding of going through with the president's promise, added Mehanna, who was also critical of the lack of unity between journalists in their stance against the new law compared to that in previous similar legislative battles.
"I don't know why the government tries to go around a clear promise made by the president, wrote Makram Mohamed Ahmed in Al Ahram. Ahmed also noted that the new additions to the publishing law prevent journalists from tracking down corruption cases.
"Fighting corruption has become the priority of a free economy, Ahmed added, "and the government should encourage it, not suffocate it.
Many writers called for the president to fulfill his promise of eliminating jail sentences in publishing crimes, since the new law doesn't deliver in this regard. In Al-Wafd, Hazem Hashem called for presidential intervention similar to what happened in the case of student Alaa Megahed, who was reprimanded for criticizing American policies and local corruption. The president stepped in last week to restore the student's grades and reverse the decision to fail her.
But others ridiculed the general request. In Al-Destour, Ibrahim Eissa said he doesn't understand those who call for the president's intervention. It's as if "they haven't read his clear signature on the law draft presented to the parliament. The law that makes the profession of journalism limited to hypocrites, Eissa explained.
But Hashem wasn't the only writer who pointed to the link between the limitations the new draft law puts on freedom of expression and the problems Megahed had to go through for expressing her views.
"We should stop at Alaa's crisis because it reflects on education and on freedom, wrote Amr Khafagy in Al-Masry Al-Youm. "It reflects on building a new generation that we hope won't be like us: born and raised in an atmosphere of fear, its utmost virtue silence.
This was also tied to university graduate Abdullah Zanoun, who was denied a job as lecturer at his university because of his participation in a demonstration and his father's affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood. In Al-Masry Al-Youm, Mohamed Salah criticized how reports prepared by security forces could affect hiring decisions at a university.
In Al-Wafd, Emad El Ghazaly said that by way of Megahed's and Zanoun's cases, as well as the recent jail sentence Eissa received for "insulting the president, the government wants to send a message: "Stay by the wall. The Arabic phrase is often used to indicate staying out of trouble by not interfering in anything at all.
Meanwhile, the escalation of violence in Gaza was topic for several editorials this week. Mohamed Abdel Moniem wrote in Al-Akhbar that Israel could have opted for diplomatic negotiations to release the kidnapped soldier, but "this wasn't Israel's goal. Israel wants to destroy the infrastructure of the Palestinian existence and to put obstacles in the way of establishing the Palestinian state.
In Al-Wafd, Essam Kamel was concerned by the relative apathy expressed toward the Palestinian crisis in comparison with the zestful interest exhibited in the World Cup.


Clic here to read the story from its source.